1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly, to the deposition of aluminum oxide on an integrated circuit wafer.
2. Art Background
During the fabrication of an integrated circuit on a substrate ("wafer"), it is common for "mouse bites" and "notches" to be formed during the etching process. Mouse bites and notches occur where the deposited aluminum layer on a wafer is etched away from a metal lead in an area where the aluminum was to cover the lead completely. The etching away of aluminum from the metal lead may result in the formation of an integrated circuit which is subject to shorting or intermittent malfunction.
As will be described, the present invention provides a cap layer of aluminum oxide over a previously deposited aluminum layer such that during photolithography, the formation of mouse bites and notches during the etching process are precluded. In addition, the present invention has been found to increase the absorption of light during the photolithographic process, thereby increasing the efficiency of the photolithographic techniques.